Recommendations for opening a bottle of wine
- The bottle is placed in a vertical position and we must move it as little as possible. This is how we prevent any type of dregs or sediment from clouding the wine.
- With a capsule cutter or a knife, we go over the edge of the capsule, around, just below the widest part of the neck of the bottle (the neck), making the complete circumference to leave the cut well marked. We lift the capsule and access the cork of the bottle.
- Little by little we insert the corkscrew into the cork taking into account that the spiral does not go through it completely, otherwise it will break.
- We carefully uncover the wine, pressing the bottle lightly on the table and pulling the corkscrew up.
Once we have uncovered the wine:
- We pass through the mouth of the bottle a clean cloth, to remove any remaining cork that may remain. We can smell the cork, to check that it does not contain strange aromas, to make sure that the wine is in perfect condition.
- In the case of red wines, to avoid heating them by hand, a basket can be used to place the bottle and serve it.
- In the case of very old wines, such as grand reservas, they can be decanted (and should even be decanted) and served in a special container, bottle or decanter. It is also convenient to open them at least an hour in advance, so that the wine can "air".
How to correctly open a bottle of cava or champagne
In the first place, we must take into account that these types of drinks usually have considerable pressure, so we must be careful when opening them, and always avoid any type of loud or violent opening, aiming with the cork, or shaking the bottle. bottle.
- The best thing is that we hold the bottle with a clean cloth, to prevent it from slipping. First we remove the paper or aluminum that covers the neck of the bottle, then we remove the mesh or wire that covers the cork, for your safety.
- Carefully, we hold the cork and slowly turn it (without changing the direction of rotation, to prevent the cork from breaking), applying a little upward force while continuing to turn the cork until it comes out. The cork never comes loose from the hand, we can tilt the bottle slightly (45º) for a better opening of it.
- We must have a glass on hand, to avoid spilling liquid on the table or floor. We serve in the glass carefully because of the foam. If the drink does not have strength (gas) it is best to discard the bottle.
- As it is a drink that is drunk very cold (between 5º-8º), the glasses are not filled too much to avoid losing this degree of freshness (as a limit, about two thirds of the glass's capacity).
- The glass should be flute type, discarding flat and wide glasses.
- It would be advisable to have an ice cube tray, so that it does not lose its ideal temperature.